The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 17, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a preseason questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Stevenson Patriots
Preseason Rank: 19
Head Coach: Nick Skala
Classification: 4A
Conference: North Suburban
2024 Record (Finish): 25-14 (Lost to Conant in Sectional Final)
Key Players Lost: Brandon Schultz (Eastern Illinois), Nick Rayyan (Benedictine), Ben Fawcett (John A. Logan) 

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 8
No. of Returning Starting Pitchers: 4
No. of Returning Relief Pitchers: 5
Team Strengths: Pitching and overall depth.

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X-FACTOR

RHP Brady Rosenkranz (2025; Missouri commit) is surely looking to have a monster senior year, missing a good chunk of last spring due to injury. If the big righty is healthy, he provides true ace stuff at the top of the rotation, and he could be the piece that really puts this pitching staff over the edge. Standing in at 6-foot-7, 227-pounds, Rosenkranz has an easy and repeatable delivery despite his hulking size, and he’ll run his fastball up to the 90 mph mark to blow hitters away. To pair off the fastball, he’ll show both a curveball and a slider, both playing with quality spin and depth to act as potential out-pitches. He will also go to a changeup at times to give a different look, playing firm in the mid-80s but showing heavy arm-side traits. Look for Rosenkranz to help lead this deep and talented pitching staff down the stretch.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Patriots are coming off a year in which they went 25-14, dancing in and out of our Power 25 a bit throughout the year. They did lose a couple big names from their lineup from a season ago, however they bring back a large chunk of their roster with some new faces hungry to take on roles. 

The aforementioned Rosenkranz will headline the rotation, but coach Skala will also look to RHP Drew Clark (2026), RHP Yunus Hamideh (2025; Kirkwood commit), LHP Andrew Langerman (2025; Palm Beach State commit) and RHP Sam Prosk (2026) to eat up a good chunk of their innings.

Clark saw a considerable amount of time on the bump last spring, boasting a 4-1 record to go along with 43 innings pitched and a 2.93 ERA. The slender 6-foot-5 right-hander has a fastball that will creep into the upper-80s, and his curveball/changeup combination gives him options when he gets ahead in the count.

A common theme in the rotation is height, with Hamideh standing in at 6-foot-7, 208-pounds. Arguably their most dominant pitcher last spring, Hamideh returns a 1.60 ERA over 39.1 innings in which he had a 4-2 record, 45 strikeouts and just 17 walks. Another power arm for the Patriots, his fastball has big spin metrics and carry while playing in the upper-80s, making his slider and changeup that much better and harder to hit.

Moving down the list, Langerman is a crafty low-80s lefty that returns a 2.95 ERA and 19 innings from a season ago, while Prosk will look to make an impact in his first year on varsity.

Their bullpen is arguably just as exciting as their rotation, as they have the luxury of trotting out multiple power arms.

The first arm we need to mention is RHP Frank Costabile (2026), the current No. 15 player in IL. You’d be hard pressed to find an athlete in the state that can rival his all-around athleticism, being a 6.77 runner with a 99 mph velocity from the outfield and 103 mph exit velocity at the plate. He was a valuable piece on both sides of the ball last spring, and he will look to once again be a key piece on the mound - returning a 2.25 ERA in 18.2 innings with 34 strikeouts and just 12 walks. The right-hander has a bullying fastball that plays in the 90-94 mph range, and he’ll put you away with his 2,800 rpm slider when he gets ahead in the count.

Staying on the topic of power arms, RHP Ryan Harris (2026) will also look to play a large role out of the ‘pen. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound right-hander will run his fastball up to 93 mph, cruising in the upper-80s and low-90s - and he’ll certainly be an intimidating presence for opposing teams late in games.

Adding some depth to the bullpen will be junior right-handers Sam Adelman and Alex Han.

Looking on the other side of the ball, the Patriots bring back eight starters from a season ago.

The aforementioned Costabile will play a large role in their offense, coming off a spring in which he hit .352 in 105 at-bats with a 1.071 OPS, nine doubles, four triples, four home runs, 23 RBIs and 29 runs scored. He brings some power to the lineup with his already mentioned exit velocity that can reach over the 100 mph mark, and he will also help provide quality defense in the outfield and limit runners looking to advance on the bases.

Adelman will also look to be a key piece from an offensive standpoint, hitting his way to a .478 average in 23 at-bats with a 1.109 OPS - also providing quality defense on the dirt.

Manning the pitching staff will be C Matteo Nolasco (2025; Milwaukee School of Engineering commit). The right-handed hitter will be a cornerstone in the Patriots’ lineup, bringing back a .306 average in 85 at-bats from a season ago while also bringing some power to the lineup.

Infielders Ryan Martin (2026) and Aidan Crawley (2026) should help bring depth to the lineup - with Martin hitting .286 in 63 at-bats last spring and Crawley hitting .349 in 86 at-bats.

The aforementioned Ryan Harris should play a role in the outfield, and Mason Nolasco (2026) along with Jackson Merdalo (2025) will certainly look to be big contributors as well.

Bottom Line & Director's Note

The pitching depth the Patriots have rivals nearly anyone in the state, and they have multiple horses with top-level stuff that will blow hitters away. Another thing that stands out about them is their overall depth, with very quality varsity baseball players littered throughout their lineup and even in their dugout. Though they lost some thump in their lineup from last spring, their overall speed should be better than last year, which is saying something considering they swiped 156 bags. Overall, the Patriots are strong on both sides of the ball with quality depth, something that is mandatory to make a deep run in the playoffs.

"If the talented junior class can produce at a high level this spring, the Patriots have the chance to outdue their Sectional Final run in 2024. Talented group that would be no surprise to see still standing come early June." Drew Locascio

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Find more information on the 2025 Stevenson program below:

+ Follow them on X: @SHSPatsBaseball

+ Visit the Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 homepage

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Coach Skala Joined The Bullpen...

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